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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: file · safe · can · staff · capital · patient · net · spring

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — after costs
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. net — in sport
  11. capital — money
  12. spring — of water
  13. net — for catching
  14. can — to be able to
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — the season
  18. file — a tool
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. file — a document
  23. staff — employees
  24. capital — a city

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