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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 · mine · safe · face · bound · object · cabinet · sharp

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. object — a thing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bound — tied together
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — obliged
  13. object — to protest
  14. bound — certain
  15. object — an aim
  16. face — part of the head
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — clever
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. safe — out of danger

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