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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bound — tied together
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. suit — to fit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bound — obliged
  7. current — of water
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. current — electric
  13. saw — the tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. saw — the tool
  16. last — finally
  17. stock — goods
  18. bound — certain
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. current — happening now
  23. stock — shares
  24. patient — a sick person

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