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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: net · object · nail · hide · patient · scale · cell · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. object — a thing
  3. bound — obliged
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. object — an aim
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. object — to protest
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. net — after costs
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bound — tied together
  24. nail — for a hammer

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