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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — after costs
  9. bound — obliged
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — boats
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. net — in sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chest — a box
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. net — for catching
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. chest — of your body
  21. spell — letters
  22. bound — certain
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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