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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. season — of the year
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. roll — a list
  11. fine — all right
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chest — of your body
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. chest — a box
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. chest — of your body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. trunk — of a car

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