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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. shower — to wash
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rule — government
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. shower — rain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rule — a law
  14. chair — a leader
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. staff — a stick
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bound — certain
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. staff — employees

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