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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: patient · race · safe · stick · pound · nail

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. race — humankind
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — a contest
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pound — a weight

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