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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — an injury
  3. court — of a king
  4. mine — for digging
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. court — of law
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. court — for sport
  19. plane — a tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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