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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: arm · wind · bore · squash · bound · patient · leaves · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. squash — to crush
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — to tire
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mouse — the animal

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