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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: bear · fall · fine · mine · mouse · bound · spell · patient

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fall — to drop
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. mine — for digging
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fall — the season
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. bound — obliged
  24. spell — magic

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