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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rock — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — a series
  8. face — to confront
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fall — to drop
  12. court — for sport
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. face — part of the head
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. court — of law
  22. fall — to drop
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fall — the season

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