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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bound — certain
  4. ball — a dance
  5. object — to protest
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — the sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. object — an aim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lie — to recline
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — a thing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ball — a great time

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