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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.

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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 · bound · sharp · cell · saw · chair · bear · ruler

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bound — tied together
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cell — a phone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chair — a leader
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. saw — the tool

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