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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: charge · bound · patient · wind · stick · bat · bay · content

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — certain
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wind — moving air
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wind — moving air
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. charge — in control
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bat — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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