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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: season · file · bass · branch · safe · hide · net · patient

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. net — after costs
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. season — in sport
  7. branch — a division
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. season — of the year
  10. bass — the fish
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a tool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. net — in sport
  15. file — a document
  16. bass — low music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. net — for catching
  24. safe — out of danger

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