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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.

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
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: patient · fork · bound · mark · bass · mine · safe · wound

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bass — low music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bound — certain
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bound — obliged
  24. safe — a strongbox

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