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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 116 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: hide · wake · coach · wax · row · race · perch · bass

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bass — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — to paddle
  5. race — humankind
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — the arms race
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bass — low music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — a trail
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — a line
  24. race — a contest

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