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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: trunk · row · track · plane · bowl · wax · rash · bound

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. row — a line
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rash — a series
  12. track — to keep track
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. track — a path
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. track — a song
  20. bound — certain
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bound — obliged

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