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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: charge · bay · cell · squash · bowl · wax · row · rock

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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 — to paddle
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. squash — to crush
  8. charge — in control
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wax — to grow
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cell — in biology
  20. charge — a price
  21. cell — a phone
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cell — in a prison
  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