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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 120 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: bat · field · bay · safe · nail · spell · patient · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. last — finally
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. field — a subject
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — letters
  13. last — to go on
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. field — farmland
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spell — magic
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spell — a short time
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. field — for sport

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