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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: march · bay · roll · rash · chair · wax · row · mouse

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. row — a line
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. march — the month
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. roll — a list
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. chair — a leader
  19. row — to paddle
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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