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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
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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: bound · court · dip · nail · wind · patient · mouse · chair

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. court — for sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. court — of a king
  10. bound — certain
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. court — of law
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — for a hammer

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