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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.

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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: patient · pitcher · safe · spring · stick · wax · hand · present

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — help
  6. wax — to grow
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. present — the time now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — in cards
  17. present — there
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. present — a gift
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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