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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 120 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: fan · scale · lie · row · season · bore · march · wake

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. march — the month
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — a trail
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — the month
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. march — music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. row — a line
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. row — to paddle
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. season — of the year

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