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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · lie · squash · content · board · file · object · tube

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. object — to protest
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — a thing
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. row — a line
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. file — a document
  11. lie — to recline
  12. file — a tool
  13. content — happy
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. object — an aim
  19. content — the amount
  20. file — a line of people
  21. squash — the sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. tube — a container

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