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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. season — of the year
  5. current — of water
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — certain
  10. rule — a law
  11. bound — tied together
  12. current — happening now
  13. rule — government
  14. season — in sport
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cold — not warm
  22. current — electric
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rule — to rule out

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