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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bound — certain
  19. chair — a leader
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fall — the season

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