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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: band · patient · rock · arm · nail · safe · saw · season

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. band — a music group
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rock — music
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. season — of the year
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. season — in sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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