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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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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: patient · straw · drill · chip · stem · temple · safe · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chip — to eat
  14. drill — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stem — to come from
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chip — for betting
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. drill — army training

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