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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. clip — to cut
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. clip — a video
  6. bound — tied together
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. key — the most important part
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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