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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: tear · wave · mark · fall · bound · perch · rule · fine

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fine — all right
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rule — a law
  10. bound — certain
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bound — obliged
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fall — the season

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