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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · fall · bound · patient · mug · trunk

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mug — a cup
  13. game — a match
  14. bound — certain
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mug — a face
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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