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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. land — to come down
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. land — a country
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. land — ground
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. charge — in control
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. charge — electricity
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. charge — a price
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mine — for digging

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