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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: bear · snap · safe · chair · patient · content · board · wax

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — a committee
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. content — the amount
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. content — happy
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bear — the animal

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