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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: patient · wake · object · foot · hide · safe · mouse · stick

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. object — an aim
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. foot — a measure
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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