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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bound — obliged
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spring — of water
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. deal — to handle
  20. swing — music
  21. bound — certain
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. swing — to play on
  24. deal — an agreement

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