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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. club — a group
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bound — obliged
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. drill — the tool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. drill — army training
  20. bound — certain
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. dip — to sink
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. sharp — exactly

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