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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: patient · safe · land · coach · stem · sharp · wake · bore

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. land — ground
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bore — to tire
  5. land — a country
  6. stem — to come from
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. land — to come down
  19. sharp — clever
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wake — a trail
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stem — of a plant

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