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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. court — of law
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. charge — electricity
  7. season — in sport
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — the time now
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. court — for sport
  15. present — a gift
  16. march — music
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. present — there
  20. court — of a king
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. season — of the year
  23. file — a line of people
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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