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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. land — a country
  4. bound — obliged
  5. suit — to fit
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. suit — clothes
  9. land — to come down
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tube — a container
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — the underground
  18. band — a ring
  19. suit — in cards
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. land — ground
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. band — a music group

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