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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: tear · safe · face · chair · rush · pop · patient · land

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. land — a country
  9. rush — hurry
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — to confront
  13. pop — music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. face — to point toward
  23. chair — a leader
  24. safe — out of danger

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