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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: pop · row · race · foot · bore · wax · mark · rock

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pop — to visit
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. race — a contest
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bore — to drill
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. row — to paddle
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — a line

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