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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: chip · bound · patient · band · straw · cell · leaves · lean

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lean — to bend
  3. band — a ring
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. band — a music group
  9. bound — certain
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bound — obliged
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bound — tied together
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cell — a phone
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cell — in biology
  20. lean — thin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. leaves — lets stay

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