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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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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: bass · wind · wake · rash · perch · fork · saw · craft

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rash — hasty
  4. craft — boats
  5. wind — moving air
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bass — low music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bass — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rash — a series
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. craft — a skill
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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