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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cold — not warm
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bound — certain
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bound — obliged
  23. saw — the tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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