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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. object — to protest
  3. ground — the earth
  4. craft — a skill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — for money
  8. craft — boats
  9. present — a gift
  10. land — ground
  11. bank — of a river
  12. present — there
  13. object — a thing
  14. ground — crushed
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bound — certain
  17. ground — a position
  18. object — an aim
  19. present — the time now
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — obliged
  24. land — a country

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