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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: ball · kid · mine · rush · safe · tube · calf · patient

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kid — to tease
  8. rush — hurry
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tube — a container
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kid — child
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tube — the underground

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