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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lean — to bend
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — thin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mine — for digging
  23. craft — boats
  24. patient — a sick person

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