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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — all right
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bound — certain
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lie — to recline
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fine — high quality
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. date — the fruit
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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