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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
468
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 · fork · safe · dip · wound · hide · hand · game

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hand — in cards
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — a match
  13. hand — help
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. dip — to sink
  22. game — wild animals
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hide — to keep secret

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