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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: patient · bass · mug · safe · lie · trunk

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mug — a face
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bass — low music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bass — the fish
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lie — to recline
  18. safe — out of danger

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