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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. can — to be able to
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. board — a committee
  5. bark — to shout
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lie — to recline
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. suit — to fit
  11. can — a tin
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bound — tied together
  14. board — to get on
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — a tin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. field — for sport
  21. bound — certain
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bound — obliged
  24. patient — a sick person

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