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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: cold · safe · foot · trunk · drill · patient · prune · deal

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. prune — to trim
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — to handle
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cold — an illness
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. drill — a practice
  16. prune — to trim
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cold — not warm

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