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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chip — to eat
  3. row — a line
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. row — to paddle
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bound — certain
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rest — what's left
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hand — help
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bound — tied together

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