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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: bay · safe · land · staff · patient · bear · content · wound

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — an injury
  3. content — happy
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. land — ground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — to come down
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. content — the amount
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. land — a country
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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