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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: perch · bass · rest · nail · bound · cap · net · patient

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rest — a break
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. perch — the fish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. net — after costs
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bound — obliged

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