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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 116 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: wax · row · perch · stock · racket · mark · rush · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — a grade
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mark — a trace
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. row — a line
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wax — to grow
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stock — shares
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stock — goods
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wax — for sculpting

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