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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: drill · chip · safe · wound · patient · pit · bank · coach

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chip — to eat
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bank — for money
  9. drill — army training
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — a practice
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pit — in a race

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