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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 120 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
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: saw · bear · tube · land · bay · lash · bound · patient

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. tube — a container
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. land — a country
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. land — ground
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. land — to come down
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bear — to put up with

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