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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rash — a series
  12. pound — a weight
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rash — hasty
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rash — on the skin

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