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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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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: staff · rule · capital · safe · firm · snap · deal · patient

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. capital — money
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. capital — a city
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. snap — to click
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rule — a law
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — government
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — steady
  23. safe — out of danger
  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