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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bound — obliged
  9. scale — in music
  10. bound — certain
  11. mate — a friend
  12. snap — to click
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mate — to breed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pass — to spend time

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