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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 120 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 · mark · cap · sharp · lie · patient · pitcher · rush

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bound — certain
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mark — a trace
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cap — a lid

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