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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. tube — a container
  3. roll — a list
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. tube — the underground
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. court — for sport
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. court — of a king
  18. roll — a cake
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. court — of law
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rush — hurry

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