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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: chest · perch · lean · patient · face · bay · season · bound

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. face — to point toward
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bound — tied together
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — certain
  11. lean — to bend
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — thin
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. face — to confront
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chest — a box
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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