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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chip — to eat
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bound — certain
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. drill — the tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — army training
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bound — tied together

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