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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. court — of a king
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bat — the animal
  8. race — humankind
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. court — for sport
  11. hand — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. race — the arms race
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. hand — help
  21. court — of law
  22. race — a contest
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. hand — part of the body

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