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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · fall · root · capital · patient · prune · safe · bound

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. capital — money
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — of a word
  10. bound — obliged
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. capital — a city
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — certain
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. hand — help
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fall — to drop

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