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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fall — the season
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fall — to drop
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. present — there
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. bound — certain
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spell — a short time
  19. present — the time now
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. land — ground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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