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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 116 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: hand · patient · race · pound · suit · lash · bound · track

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. track — to keep track
  3. hand — in cards
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. race — humankind
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. race — the arms race
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bound — certain
  16. pound — a weight
  17. hand — help
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — tied together
  21. suit — in cards
  22. race — a contest
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. suit — clothes

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