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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 · nail · content · safe · stick · squash · pop · patient

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pop — soda
  14. bank — for money
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — of a river
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. squash — to crush
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — to visit
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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