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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · board · row · wax · mug · perch · rule · hide

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wax — to grow
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rule — government
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rule — a law
  12. row — to paddle
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. row — a line
  21. board — a committee
  22. bass — low music
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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