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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 116 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
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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: spring · deal · patient · march · bear · fall · mouse · bound

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. fall — the season
  4. march — the month
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bound — obliged
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bound — certain
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. march — the month
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bound — tied together

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