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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: lie · board · fall · rock · firm · shower · prune · nail

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. board — a committee
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. board — to get on
  9. firm — a company
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — decided
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. fall — the season
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — steady

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