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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cap — of ice
  4. present — the time now
  5. clip — for paper
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bound — obliged
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. clip — a video
  10. bound — certain
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — tied together
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — a skill
  19. present — there
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — boats
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fall — the season

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