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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ground — a position
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. present — the time now
  8. bound — obliged
  9. present — there
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. wound — an injury
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. present — a gift
  24. bound — certain

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