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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — of a king
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. land — a country
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. saw — the tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — a leader
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — ground
  19. court — for sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. court — of law

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