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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: temple · swing · nail · trunk · stem · bear · patient · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. swing — in golf
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bound — tied together
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — music
  24. bound — certain

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