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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bound — certain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mine — for digging
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fall — the season
  10. pop — music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — obliged
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fall — to drop
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fall — to drop
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — soda

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