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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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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: patient · safe · face · sharp · season · clip · nail · present

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — there
  3. clip — for paper
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. clip — a video
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. face — to point toward
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. present — the time now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — clever
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. season — of the year
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. clip — to cut
  24. present — a gift

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