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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bound — certain
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bound — obliged
  7. face — to confront
  8. spring — the season
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. face — to point toward
  14. toast — bread
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. face — part of the head
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rush — hurry

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