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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: bank · dip · safe · fan · present · patient · degree · kid

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. kid — child
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. present — a gift
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bank — for money
  13. degree — from a university
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — of a river
  17. dip — to sink
  18. present — there
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. degree — an amount
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — to tease
  24. patient — a sick person

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