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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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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: safe · nail · patient · racket · content · cell · capital · calf

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cell — in biology
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. content — the amount
  11. cell — a phone
  12. capital — money
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — happy
  20. capital — a city
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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