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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stock — shares
  5. bound — obliged
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stock — goods
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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