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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: roll · racket · jam · cold · lie · row · wax · hide

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. row — to paddle
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lie — to recline
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cold — not warm
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cold — an illness
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. roll — a cake

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