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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · chair · hide · nail · scale · racket · row · rock

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. scale — size or range
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. row — a line
  20. scale — in music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. row — to paddle
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. nail — on a finger

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