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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 · coach · current · stick · perch · pass · patient · chest

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chest — of your body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chest — a box
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chest — of your body
  14. current — of water
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — a permit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. current — happening now
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. current — electric

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