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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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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: lean · bound · stock · band · patient · key · rash · mate

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stock — shares
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rash — a series
  9. band — a ring
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mate — a friend
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. mate — a partner
  16. key — for a lock
  17. band — a music group
  18. bound — obliged
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lean — thin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. patient — a sick person

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