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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.

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: leaves · stand · pit · nail · spell · bound · chest · perch

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — magic
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pit — in a race
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bound — certain
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stand — to bear
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chest — a box
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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