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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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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: wake · chair · dip · safe · cell · patient

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chair — a leader
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cell — a phone
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cell — in biology
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. dip — to dunk

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