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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · cold · perch · game · rule · fan · bound · patient

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rule — government
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cold — an illness
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rule — a law
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cold — not warm
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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