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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pass — a permit
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bulb — for light
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fork — in a road
  19. charge — a price
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — in control

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