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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
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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: toast · patient · drill · mine · bound · squash · bear · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. toast — bread
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bound — tied together
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mine — for digging
  12. drill — army training
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — the tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bass — low music
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. squash — the sport
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bound — obliged
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — certain
  24. bear — the animal

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