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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. last — final
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. cue — a signal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cue — a hint
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. coach — a trainer

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