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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.

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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bear — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. swing — music
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bear — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — happy
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rest — a break
  24. racket — a loud noise

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