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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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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: perch · race · wave · stem · hand · band · row · board

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. band — a ring
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hand — help
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. race — a contest
  10. hand — in cards
  11. race — humankind
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stem — to come from
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — to get on
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. band — a music group

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