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

Word bank: kick · bay · patient · stand · bat · bound

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bound — tied together
  6. kick — in football
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bat — in an idiom
  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