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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 116 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: safe · squash · pit · band · patient · clip · cell · suit

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. band — a music group
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — a hole
  9. clip — for paper
  10. suit — clothes
  11. clip — a video
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. suit — to fit
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. squash — to crush
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. squash — the sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. clip — to cut

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