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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.

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: cold · bound · bore · rash · fine · safe · perch · present

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bound — certain
  4. fine — all right
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. present — a gift
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — the fish
  17. present — the time now
  18. bore — to tire
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. present — there
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bound — obliged
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cold — the Cold War

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