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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 120 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: safe · patient · spell · chip · row · court · rash · wake

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. row — a line
  7. court — of a king
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spell — letters
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rash — a series
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. spell — magic
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. court — for sport
  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