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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. content — happy
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mug — a face
  10. fork — in a road
  11. content — the amount
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bass — low music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. face — to confront
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mug — a cup

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