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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 116 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: perch · bulb · ground · mug · safe · squash · wind · bound

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — a face
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mug — to rob
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ground — a position
  11. bound — obliged
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wind — moving air
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ground — the earth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bound — certain
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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