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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. staff — employees
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bound — tied together
  9. staff — a stick
  10. court — of a king
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mark — a trace
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. court — for sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rash — hasty
  24. calf — a young animal

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