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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: wind · sharp · rush · wound · perch · wave · dip · fan

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wind — moving air
  10. perch — the fish
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wind — moving air
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rush — hurry

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