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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · safe · chip · temple · shower · patient · nail · mine

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. season — of the year
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. season — in sport
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. shower — to wash
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. safe — a strongbox

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