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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bound — certain
  7. rash — hasty
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. toast — bread
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — a series
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stand — to bear
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rash — on the skin

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