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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: club · clip · chest · patient · shower · safe · pound · wound

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. clip — to cut
  3. shower — rain
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chest — a box
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. club — a group
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chest — of your body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. clip — a video
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — for golf
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. clip — for paper
  22. chest — of your body
  23. shower — to wash
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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