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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. court — of law
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. court — for sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bulb — for light
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. court — of a king
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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