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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: row · racket · band · lie · fall · nail · rash · suit

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. row — to paddle
  4. band — a ring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rash — hasty
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rash — a series
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fall — the season
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. row — a line
  24. nail — on a finger

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