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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cap — a lid
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bound — certain
  13. chest — a box
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. band — a music group
  16. bound — tied together
  17. band — a ring
  18. object — a thing
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. object — an aim
  24. chest — of your body

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