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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: wave · bound · fine · wind · spring · patient · ball · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — tied together
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wind — moving air
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fine — all right
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — high quality
  18. spring — the season
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spring — of water
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wind — moving air

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