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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.

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: present · arm · saw · nail · rash · rule · row · track

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rule — government
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. track — a song
  8. present — the time now
  9. row — a line
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. saw — the tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. track — a path
  14. rule — a law
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. track — to keep track
  24. row — a quarrel

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