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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — of law
  3. object — a thing
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rock — a stone
  6. object — to protest
  7. current — happening now
  8. object — an aim
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. current — of water
  13. court — for sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. current — electric
  16. court — of a king
  17. hand — help
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rock — music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — in cards

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