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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
468
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: hide · arm · row · racket · pitcher · ruler · spell · wax

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. row — a line
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wax — for sculpting

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