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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. chest — a box
  7. suit — clothes
  8. plane — a tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. firm — steady
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chest — of your body
  14. row — to paddle
  15. suit — to fit
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. suit — in cards
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. court — of law
  21. chest — of your body
  22. row — a line
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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