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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: mouse · cap · safe · present · patient · lie · saw · lean

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — of ice
  6. present — the time now
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lean — thin
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. present — there
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. present — a gift
  24. cap — a hat

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