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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.

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: pass · bound · patient · wave · bark · ball · perch · lean

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pass — a permit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lean — thin
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — certain
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bark — to shout
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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