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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: content · safe · kick · patient · cell · race

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. content — the amount
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — in football
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cell — in biology
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. race — humankind
  13. content — happy
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cell — a phone

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