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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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bound — certain
  14. row — a line
  15. pass — a permit
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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