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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: wind · patient · straw · safe · pit · racket · mouse · bear

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — the animal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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