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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: patient · bound · fan · safe · perch · scale · bulb · squash

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bound — tied together
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bound — certain
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. perch — the fish
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. scale — in music
  21. squash — to crush
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. squash — the sport

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