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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 · mate · last · squash · safe · chest · bulb · coach

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. squash — to crush
  3. last — final
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mate — a partner
  6. last — to go on
  7. chest — a box
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. last — finally
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mate — to breed
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mate — a friend
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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