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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: rest · content · bound · cap · scale · patient · hide · safe

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — size or range
  8. content — the amount
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. scale — in music
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — certain
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. content — happy
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bound — tied together
  24. safe — out of danger

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