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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — certain
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. current — happening now
  6. clip — to cut
  7. current — electric
  8. bound — tied together
  9. last — to go on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. deal — to handle
  14. suit — clothes
  15. squash — the sport
  16. clip — for paper
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. current — of water
  20. last — finally
  21. clip — a video
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. last — final
  24. bound — obliged

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