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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · rule · patient · safe · staff · field

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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. safe — a strongbox
  4. rule — government
  5. craft — a skill
  6. field — farmland
  7. staff — employees
  8. rule — a law
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. craft — boats
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. staff — employees
  13. field — for sport
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. field — a subject
  17. staff — a stick
  18. craft — a handicraft

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