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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 120 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 · nail · wound · rest · pit · content · lean · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rest — what's left
  4. content — happy
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rest — what's left
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — obliged
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rest — a break
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lean — thin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — the amount
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pit — a hole

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