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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spell — magic
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spell — letters
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. content — the amount
  11. spell — a short time
  12. present — a gift
  13. bound — obliged
  14. board — a committee
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. content — happy
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. present — there
  21. board — to get on
  22. bound — certain
  23. wake — a trail
  24. file — a line of people

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