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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 116 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bound — certain
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fine — high quality
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fine — all right
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — to handle
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bound — obliged

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