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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: safe · patient · pop · drill · cap · present · sharp · board

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. present — the time now
  2. pop — music
  3. present — there
  4. pop — to visit
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cap — of ice
  9. board — a committee
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. drill — army training
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. drill — the tool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cap — a lid
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — to get on
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — soda
  23. patient — a sick person
  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