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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: patient · hide · jam · ball · safe · bowl · kid · wake

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. kid — child
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. kid — to tease
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. ball — a dance
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ball — a great time
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bowl — a dish

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