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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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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: rock · patient · perch · bound · last · mark · rest · calf

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. last — finally
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rest — what's left
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — to go on
  9. rest — what's left
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — a trace
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bound — certain
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. last — final
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rest — a break
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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