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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: rock · bore · row · mark · face · band · leaves · roll

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. face — part of the head
  7. band — a ring
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — a line
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bore — to tire
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. roll — a list
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rock — music
  21. row — to paddle
  22. band — a music group
  23. rock — a stone
  24. face — to confront

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