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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 · rash · squash · bay · pound · bound · march · spring

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spring — of water
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. rash — hasty
  6. spring — the season
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. squash — the sport
  11. march — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — obliged
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. march — the month
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. march — the month
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rash — a series
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pound — to hit hard

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