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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: pop · perch · fall · foot · sharp · bound · ground · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fall — the season
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ground — crushed
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bound — certain
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — obliged
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — music
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pop — soda
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — the fish
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ground — a position

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