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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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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: bound · bank · bark · fall · kid · bore · pit · patient

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fall — to drop
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bank — of a river
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. kid — child
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bank — for money
  19. pit — a hole
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fall — the season

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