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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 · staff · safe · stand · toast · kid · pass · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. content — happy
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. content — the amount
  9. staff — a stick
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. kid — to tease
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. kid — child
  15. staff — employees
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stand — to bear
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — on your feet

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