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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: fall · mate · land · bound · hide · perch · ball · rush

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. perch — the fish
  3. land — ground
  4. fall — the season
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. land — to come down
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ball — a great time
  18. land — a country
  19. bound — certain
  20. fall — to drop
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ball — a round shape

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