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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: sharp · foot · roll · wound · fan · lie · row · nail

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. roll — a list
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lie — to recline
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. roll — a cake
  16. row — a line
  17. wound — an injury
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. sharp — clever
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. lie — an untruth

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