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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 120 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: wind · pit · patient · content · tube · coach · staff · bound

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pit — a hole
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wind — moving air
  7. content — the amount
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. tube — a container
  10. bound — certain
  11. pit — in a race
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wind — moving air
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. staff — employees
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. content — happy
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wind — to turn a key

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