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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. court — for sport
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. court — of law
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — of a king
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — tied together
  12. root — the cause
  13. bound — certain
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bulb — for light
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bound — obliged
  24. tear — to rip

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