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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 120 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: bear · object · can · safe · cell · patient · degree · track

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. track — a song
  3. degree — from a university
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. can — a tin
  6. object — to protest
  7. bear — the animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — to keep track
  11. can — to be able to
  12. degree — an amount
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — temperature
  15. track — a path
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cell — in biology
  20. can — a tin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. object — an aim
  24. cell — a phone

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