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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
468
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: pop · mark · court · safe · land · lie · arm · patient

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. land — a country
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. land — to come down
  10. pop — soda
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. land — ground
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lie — to recline
  17. court — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. court — of a king
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. court — of law

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