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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bulb — for light
  3. net — for catching
  4. staff — a stick
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. net — after costs
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. club — a group
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — in sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — for dancing
  17. staff — employees
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. staff — employees
  22. club — for golf
  23. last — to go on
  24. bound — obliged

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