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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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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 · cap · wound · safe · rest · content · wake · dip

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. content — the amount
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wound — an injury
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — happy
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. patient — a sick person

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