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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: staff · bound · spring · track · patient · sharp · wound · chip

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spring — of water
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spring — a coil
  5. staff — employees
  6. track — a path
  7. wound — an injury
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — the season
  16. bound — tied together
  17. chip — for betting
  18. sharp — clever
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bound — certain
  24. track — a song

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