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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
468
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 · can · kid · date · staff · safe · land · bowl

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. date — the fruit
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — a tin
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kid — to tease
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kid — child
  12. staff — employees
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. staff — employees
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. staff — a stick
  24. land — a country

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