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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.

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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: band · stick · bore · bowl · safe · patient · cold · rock

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rock — a stone
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. band — a music group
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rock — music
  17. band — a ring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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