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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · shower · bowl · patient · season · cabinet · court · chest

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — for sport
  4. chest — a box
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chest — of your body
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. season — of the year
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. shower — rain

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