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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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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: pass · hand · fall · rush · court · wake · bear · wind

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fall — to drop
  8. court — for sport
  9. fall — the season
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. court — of a king
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. court — of law
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hand — help

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