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

Word bank: patient · wound · bass · ground · toast · band · rush · safe

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. band — a ring
  6. toast — bread
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ground — crushed
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ground — a position
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wound — an injury
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. band — a music group

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