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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 · saw · tube · hide · march · calf · sharp · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — the month
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tube — a container
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. march — music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. row — a line
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wax — in the ear

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