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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: patient · safe · stem · squash · cold · pass · craft · charge

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cold — an illness
  5. charge — a price
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cold — not warm
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pass — a permit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. charge — in control
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. charge — electricity
  19. squash — the sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. craft — boats
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. patient — a sick person

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