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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.

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: patient · deal · bound · dip · march · arm · lie · row

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. row — a line
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. row — to paddle
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. march — music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bound — tied together
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bound — certain

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