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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 · squash · calf · pass · root · field · chest · safe

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. field — for sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. field — farmland
  13. pass — a permit
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. field — a subject
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. squash — the sport
  23. root — the cause
  24. patient — a sick person

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