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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: bulb · patient · swing · safe · wound · court · cabinet · mate

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — to breed
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mate — a partner
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — of law
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mate — a friend
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. court — of a king
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. patient — a sick person

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