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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: safe · cabinet · cap · patient · spring · craft · mouse · pound

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spring — of water
  10. craft — a skill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cap — of ice
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cap — a lid
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cap — a hat
  19. spring — a coil
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. spring — the season
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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