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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. clip — for paper
  5. plane — a tool
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. clip — a video
  9. staff — a stick
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. chest — a box
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bound — certain
  24. chest — of your body

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