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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: file · patient · stick · leaves · land · bore · safe · row

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. land — to come down
  4. file — a line of people
  5. land — a country
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. file — a tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. land — ground
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bore — to tire
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bore — to drill
  18. file — a document
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. row — to paddle
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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