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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chest — a box
  9. land — ground
  10. bound — tied together
  11. scale — size or range
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mate — to breed
  14. land — to come down
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mate — a partner

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