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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · hide · court · swing · file · object · safe · toast

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. file — a document
  7. toast — bread
  8. swing — in golf
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — to protest
  13. court — for sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — to play on
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. object — an aim
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. court — of a king
  22. swing — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. object — a thing

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