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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. firm — a company
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — a tin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. chest — a box
  9. object — an aim
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. object — a thing
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bound — tied together
  16. object — to protest
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chest — of your body
  19. can — a tin
  20. bound — obliged
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. firm — steady
  24. chest — of your body

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