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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.

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: march · spell · patient · wake · hide · safe

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. march — music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. wake — a trail
  15. spell — magic
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters

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