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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. court — of a king
  4. rule — government
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rule — a law
  8. court — of law
  9. toast — bread
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — in sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. season — of the year
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. court — for sport
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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