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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bound — certain
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rock — a stone
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rock — music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — a song
  13. saw — the tool
  14. track — a path
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. drill — army training
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wake — a trail
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rock — to move gently

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