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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — a country
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. bound — obliged
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bound — tied together
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. last — to go on
  16. bound — certain
  17. land — to come down
  18. last — finally
  19. land — ground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bat — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. last — final
  24. rest — a break

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