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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. court — of law
  3. land — a country
  4. can — to be able to
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chest — a box
  8. land — to come down
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — ground
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. court — for sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. foot — a measure
  19. court — of a king
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chest — of your 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