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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: file · shower · bay · land · patient · rest · dip · safe

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. file — a line of people
  8. dip — to sink
  9. shower — to wash
  10. land — to come down
  11. file — a tool
  12. land — a country
  13. rest — a break
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. file — a document
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rest — what's left
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. land — ground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — rain
  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