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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. band — a music group
  8. mate — a friend
  9. firm — a company
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. firm — steady
  14. bound — certain
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — obliged
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ball — a great time
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bound — tied together
  24. band — a ring

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