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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · bank · nail · row · bore · present · lash · track

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. row — a line
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — there
  7. track — a song
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. present — a gift
  14. bore — to drill
  15. track — a path
  16. present — the time now
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — to keep track
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bank — of a river

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com