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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.

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: patient · bound · mouse · stand · tear · pass · spring · mark

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bound — obliged
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spring — of water
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spring — the season
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mark — a grade
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — certain
  24. mark — a trace

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