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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: mark · bass · tear · rush · bound · wind · spell · perch

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spell — magic
  9. bound — certain
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bass — low music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spell — letters
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rush — to 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