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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 120 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: branch · land · band · patient · cabinet · cap · mine · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. band — a ring
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — a hat
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — to come down
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. land — ground
  17. branch — a division
  18. cap — a lid
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. land — a country
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cap — of ice
  24. band — a music group

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