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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: row · lie · tear · roll · wax · calf · last · racket

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. last — to go on
  3. roll — a cake
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tear — from crying
  12. row — to paddle
  13. lie — to recline
  14. last — finally
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tear — to rip
  23. wax — to grow
  24. last — final

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