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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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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 · stand · sharp · bound · wind · calf · foot · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bound — certain
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bound — tied together
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bound — obliged

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