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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 124 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: fall · bulb · race · patient · cell · craft · bound · sharp

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fall — the season
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bound — certain
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. race — humankind
  7. fall — to drop
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. craft — boats
  12. cell — a phone
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — a contest
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fall — to drop
  20. race — the arms race
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bound — obliged
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bulb — for light

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