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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: wave · patient · spell · bark · mark · tear · bound · trunk

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bound — certain
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bound — tied together
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — letters
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. tear — from crying
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tear — to rip

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