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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: foot · nail · rock · fall · row · can · wave · drill

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fall — the season
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rock — a stone
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rock — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. row — a line
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. can — a tin
  21. drill — army training
  22. row — to paddle
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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