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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
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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: bore · can · bound · track · perch · patient · snap · swing

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. can — to be able to
  3. track — a song
  4. swing — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. can — a tin
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bore — to drill
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — certain
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bound — tied together
  18. track — to keep track
  19. can — a tin
  20. perch — the fish
  21. track — a path
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — obliged
  24. perch — for a bird

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