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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · bay · bound · hide · patient · trunk · fan · spring

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tear — to rip
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — the season
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bound — certain
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tear — from crying
  21. spring — of water
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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