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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.

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: bay · coach · patient · cold · bulb · lie · bound · rock

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — tied together
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bound — certain
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cold — not warm
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cold — an illness
  17. rock — music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. coach — a trainer

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