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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mine — for digging
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. band — a music group
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. object — an aim
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. court — of law
  17. band — a ring
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fall — the season
  24. bulb — for light

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