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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 120 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bound — certain
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. firm — decided
  10. lean — thin
  11. land — ground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — tied together
  14. can — a tin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bound — obliged
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wind — moving air
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. land — a country
  24. wind — moving air

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