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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: wax · ball · last · toast · row · pit · rock · mug

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. last — finally
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pit — in a race
  5. row — a line
  6. last — to go on
  7. mug — a face
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rock — music
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ball — a great time
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. toast — bread

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