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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bound — certain
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. content — the amount
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rush — hurry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bound — obliged
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — tied together
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fan — a supporter

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