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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 116 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: hand · patient · cold · safe · root · rash · squash · bore

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. root — of a word
  9. rash — hasty
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. squash — to crush
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. squash — the sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rash — a series
  19. hand — in cards
  20. root — of a plant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. root — the cause
  23. bore — to tire
  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