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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bound — certain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. can — to be able to
  6. band — a ring
  7. bound — obliged
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spring — a coil
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spring — of water
  16. march — the month
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. band — a music group
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spring — the season
  23. march — the month
  24. band — a rubber band

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