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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: perch · plane · staff · patient · pound · bay · cabinet · bound

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. staff — employees
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. staff — a stick
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pound — a weight
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — employees
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pound — to hit hard

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