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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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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: patient · wound · jam · nail · hand · bound · deal · arm

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wound — an injury
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — in cards
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. hand — part of the body

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