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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. can — to be able to
  4. court — of law
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bound — tied together
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — certain
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — a division
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bound — obliged
  20. court — for sport
  21. kick — in football
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of a king

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