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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bound — tied together
  4. content — the amount
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. firm — a company
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — for paper
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rule — a law
  13. content — happy
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. clip — a video
  17. bound — certain
  18. clip — to cut
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. roll — a list
  21. firm — decided
  22. rule — government
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. firm — steady

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