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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: tear · craft · bear · wound · bowl · bass · wave · spell

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tear — from crying
  6. craft — a skill
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — low music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spell — letters
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — boats
  24. bowl — a football final

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