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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. court — for sport
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stem — to come from
  8. court — of a king
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. court — of law
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rock — music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stem — of a plant

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