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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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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: wind · mouse · deal · charge · wave · bound · straw · bark

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bound — obliged
  7. deal — to handle
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bound — certain
  16. wind — moving air
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. charge — in control
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bound — tied together

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