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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
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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: saw · spring · band · lean · content · patient · cue · safe

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lean — thin
  10. band — a ring
  11. content — the amount
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. band — a music group
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — the season
  18. saw — the tool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. spring — a coil
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. content — happy
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. spring — of water

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