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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. firm — steady
  4. spell — magic
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — certain
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. spell — a short time
  17. firm — decided
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bound — tied together
  20. spell — letters
  21. foot — a measure
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — in a road
  24. patient — a sick person

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