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

Word bank: press · safe · rest · court · swing · vault · cap · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cap — of ice
  6. court — of law
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — for sport
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rest — what's left
  15. press — a publisher
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. press — to push
  18. cap — a lid
  19. vault — a safe
  20. court — of a king
  21. rest — a break
  22. press — newspapers
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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