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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: rush · wound · fan · bear · saw · hide · bowl · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fan — a supporter
  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