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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lean — to bend
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. season — of the year
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. band — a music group
  9. lean — thin
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. capital — a city
  18. season — in sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. capital — money
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — a sick person

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