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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 · bank · kid · content · bat · patient · bass · mate

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bass — low music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — a partner
  14. content — happy
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bat — the animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. kid — child
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. kid — to tease

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