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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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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: fall · patient · chest · band · mark · bound · key · rock

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bound — obliged
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rock — music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mark — a trace
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. band — a music group
  24. fall — to drop

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