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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bass — low music
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — for money
  12. kid — to tease
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chest — a box
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spell — magic
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — child
  24. chest — of your body

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