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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: safe · rash · degree · jam · patient · bear · kick · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rash — hasty
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mine — for digging
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. kick — in football
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rash — a series
  19. bear — the animal
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. degree — temperature

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