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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · rush · spell · mark · rash · rule · wind · straw

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rule — a law
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spell — letters
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rule — government
  19. spell — magic
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rash — a series
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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