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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: bowl · bay · mouse · patient · stem · mine · can · safe

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. stem — to come from
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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