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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: bound · chair · wave · firm · bat · mouse · perch · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. firm — steady
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. firm — decided
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. drill — army training
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — a practice
  20. firm — a company
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mouse — the animal

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