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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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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 · ground · lean · bank · bound · deal · racket · tear

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. 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. ground — crushed
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bound — certain
  6. ground — a position
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bank — of a river
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lean — thin
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. tear — to rip
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bank — for money
  19. tear — from crying
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bank — for money
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bound — tied together
  24. 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