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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.

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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: stand · wind · mark · perch · present · tear · board · rash

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — there
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. board — to get on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rash — a series
  7. mark — a grade
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. present — the time now
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stand — to bear
  15. present — a gift
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. board — a committee
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tear — from crying
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rash — hasty

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