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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.

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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: nail · lie · march · wave · object · hand · mark · tube

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. object — a thing
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. march — the month
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. tube — a container
  8. march — the month
  9. object — an aim
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. object — to protest
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — help
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. march — music
  24. mark — a trace

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