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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.

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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: lie · patient · bat · pass · safe · toast · court · row

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. toast — bread
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pass — a permit
  15. row — a line
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. court — of a king
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bat — the animal
  23. court — of law
  24. safe — out of danger

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