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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pop — to visit
  4. shower — rain
  5. lean — thin
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. charge — in control
  15. pop — music
  16. rash — a series
  17. lean — to bend
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pop — soda
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. charge — a price
  22. rash — hasty
  23. present — there
  24. charge — electricity

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