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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — to get on
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bear — the animal
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. spring — of water
  19. bound — certain
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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