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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wound · craft · bore · wax · perch · lean · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. row — to paddle
  7. lean — thin
  8. bore — to drill
  9. row — a line
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. craft — a skill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bore — to tire
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wound — an injury
  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