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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bound — certain
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. game — a match
  16. fall — the season
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. plane — a tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fall — to drop

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