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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bound — certain
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. scale — size or range
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. clip — a video
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rash — a series
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. clip — for paper
  21. scale — in music
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rash — hasty
  24. clip — to cut

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