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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 116 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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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: rash · degree · march · bound · wake · patient · season · bore

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bound — certain
  5. march — music
  6. rash — a series
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bound — obliged
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wake — a trail
  14. degree — from a university
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. season — in sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. degree — an amount
  19. march — the month
  20. season — of the year
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. march — the month

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