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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. drill — army training
  6. band — a ring
  7. drill — the tool
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — a break
  10. band — a music group
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — the sport
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rush — hurry
  17. drill — a practice
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mug — a cup

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