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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · saw · board · patient · bound · rock

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. board — a flat piece

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