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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: band · chest · bore · kick · bark · bound · firm · patient

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chest — of your body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bore — to drill
  6. band — a ring
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. chest — a box
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. firm — a company
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — obliged
  17. band — a music group
  18. kick — in football
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bound — tied together
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bound — certain
  24. firm — steady

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