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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.

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: ground · clip · safe · row · game · bank · patient · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. mate — to breed
  2. bank — for money
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mate — a friend
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — to cut
  21. ground — a position
  22. mate — a partner
  23. clip — a video
  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