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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · last · safe · field · straw · patient · key · mug

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mug — a cup
  3. last — final
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — to rob
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. field — farmland
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. last — finally
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. field — for sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. last — to go on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rock — music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mug — a face
  21. key — the most important part
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. field — a subject
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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