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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · kick · swing · land · bound · patient · safe · staff

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. staff — employees
  3. bound — obliged
  4. swing — in golf
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. staff — a stick
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — tied together
  10. staff — employees
  11. land — to come down
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. land — a country
  16. lie — to recline
  17. swing — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — certain
  24. swing — to play on

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