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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: wax · ball · rock · bulb · cue · mark · row · race

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cue — a hint
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. race — a contest
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ball — a great time
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — a quarrel

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