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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: lean · scale · patient · spell · deal · bound · rash · trunk

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bound — certain
  4. spell — magic
  5. bound — tied together
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rash — hasty
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lean — to bend
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lean — thin
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. scale — in music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. spell — letters
  22. rash — a series
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bound — obliged

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