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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 120 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: leaves · bowl · season · patient · straw · chest · rest · safe

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chest — of your body
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rest — a break
  18. season — in sport
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. season — of the year
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chest — a box

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