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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: content · degree · bear · spell · patient · safe · lie · cabinet

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. spell — magic
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — letters
  13. degree — from a university
  14. content — the amount
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — happy
  20. bear — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. content — videos and posts
  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