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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: bat · suit · patient · nail · dip · bound · safe · mine

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. dip — to sink
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. suit — in cards
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — certain
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bound — tied together
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mine — for digging
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. dip — to dunk

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