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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — to visit
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bat — the animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. dip — to sink
  11. court — of law
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pop — music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. court — for sport
  17. pop — soda
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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