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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bound — tied together
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. bound — obliged
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. board — a committee
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bound — certain
  14. spring — the season
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mark — to pay attention

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