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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. drill — the tool
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. drill — army training
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. court — of law
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chest — a box
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. roll — a list

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