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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cue — a hint
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bound — certain
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rush — hurry
  17. swing — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cue — a signal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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