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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: last · arm · bound · drill · leaves · patient · chest · wave

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. chest — of your body
  4. drill — the tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chest — of your body
  7. drill — army training
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chest — a box
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. last — to go on
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. last — final
  20. drill — a practice
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bound — certain
  23. last — finally
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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