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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 · hide · scale · bay · date · wax · saw · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wax — to grow
  5. saw — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. date — the fruit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. scale — in music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. scale — size or range
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wax — for sculpting

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