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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · root · last · safe · season · press · patient · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — a publisher
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. last — final
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. root — of a word
  11. object — a thing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — the cause
  14. object — an aim
  15. last — to go on
  16. press — to push
  17. last — finally
  18. season — in sport
  19. object — to protest
  20. season — of the year
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. press — newspapers
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. root — of a plant

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