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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: spell · rock · patient · bowl · safe · clip · prune · staff

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. spell — letters
  3. staff — employees
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. staff — employees
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — magic
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bowl — a football final

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