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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: spell · patient · can · bay · safe · straw · mate · prune

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — letters
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. can — a tin
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. can — a tin

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