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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 · staff · bear · swing · patient · degree · band · bore

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. swing — to play on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bore — to drill
  11. band — a ring
  12. degree — from a university
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. staff — employees
  15. bore — to tire
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bear — the animal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bear — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. swing — in golf
  24. band — a music group

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