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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 120 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: wake · spell · plane · craft · march · tear · wave · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tear — to rip
  3. spell — letters
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tear — from crying
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — boats
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. spell — magic
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spell — a short time
  24. tear — from crying

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