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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bound — obliged

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