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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bound · hide · toast · file · mine · ball · chair · patient

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ball — a dance
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. file — a line of people
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mine — an explosive

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