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

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mark — a grade
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. game — a match
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mate — to breed

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