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

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bank — for money
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cold — not warm
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bank — for money
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bank — of a river

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