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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: safe · stick · bore · bowl · chair · patient

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chair — a leader
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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