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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lie — to recline
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — for sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bound — certain
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. court — of a king
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. court — of law
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pound — a weight

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