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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: bowl · bark · staff · safe · bay · sharp · patient · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. staff — a stick
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. staff — employees
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. staff — employees

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