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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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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: ball · row · stick · race · wave · rest · bay · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. row — a line
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a dance
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. rest — what's left
  16. race — humankind
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rest — a break
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. row — to paddle

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