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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.

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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: hide · season · branch · sharp · safe · bound · patient · snap

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bound — certain
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. season — of the year
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — obliged
  11. snap — to click
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bound — tied together
  22. sharp — clever
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hide — animal skin

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