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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. court — of law
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tear — to rip
  6. chest — a box
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tear — from crying
  9. court — for sport
  10. pit — a hole
  11. court — of a king
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mate — a friend
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tear — from crying
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lash — an eyelash

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