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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: hand · bulb · staff · safe · board · bay · clip · patient

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — for paper
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. board — a committee
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. clip — a video
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. clip — to cut
  22. hand — help
  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