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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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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 · chest · patient · plane · stand · cold · wind · cue

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chest — a box
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cold — an illness
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cold — not warm
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cue — a hint

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