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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: stand · rock · wake · mine · bowl · perch · rule · wind

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wind — moving air
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rock — music

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