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

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bound — obliged
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — a country
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — ground
  9. bound — certain
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. file — a line of people
  12. face — to confront
  13. bound — tied together
  14. file — a tool
  15. stand — to bear
  16. face — to point toward
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. file — a document
  21. can — to be able to
  22. land — to come down
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. face — part of the head

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