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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: toast · row · dip · wax · racket · bear · mate · roll

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. roll — a list
  5. wax — to grow
  6. dip — to sink
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bear — the animal
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — a line
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mate — a friend
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. toast — bread

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