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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: hand · fork · swing · land · stem · patient · hide · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stem — to come from
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. land — to come down
  8. swing — music
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — a country
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — ground
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — help
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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