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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. land — a country
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. land — ground
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — certain
  21. land — to come down
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lean — thin

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