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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: rock · roll · jam · patient · march · safe · saw · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. march — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. roll — a cake
  5. saw — the tool
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. saw — the tool
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — the month
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. march — the month
  17. roll — a list
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rock — to move gently

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