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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 116 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: wake · rest · bear · perch · can · mark · wound · chair

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wake — a trail
  15. can — a tin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — what's left
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. can — a tin
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rest — a break
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wound — an injury

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