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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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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: wake · arm · safe · bat · bass · staff · patient · pound

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. staff — employees
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bass — low music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — a trail
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. staff — employees
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bat — the animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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