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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: wave · row · rule · rock · kid · bowl

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rock — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rule — government
  13. kid — child
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. row — to paddle
  17. kid — to tease
  18. row — a line

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