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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.

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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: rash · deal · roll · wind · rock · wax · mark · row

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rock — music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. roll — a list
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rock — a stone
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wind — moving air
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. deal — to handle
  22. row — a line
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mark — to pay attention

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