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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — tied together
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. scale — size or range
  10. degree — temperature
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — a short time
  13. drill — a practice
  14. degree — an amount
  15. drill — army training
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bound — obliged
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — the tool
  24. degree — from a university

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