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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: patient · roll · key · mine · safe · mate · rush · sharp

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — clever
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. roll — a cake
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mate — a partner
  15. roll — a list
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. key — in music
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. key — the most important part

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