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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: bound · fork · wound · pit · wind · fine · mouse · patient

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wound — an injury
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — all right
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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