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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: bound · lash · patient · firm · mate · fan · prune · saw

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bound — tied together
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mate — a friend
  20. saw — the tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. bound — obliged
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — certain

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