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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.

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: lean · court · perch · chair · calf · bound · band · bore

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bound — certain
  7. court — for sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. band — a ring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bound — tied together
  20. band — a music group
  21. court — of law
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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