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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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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: pound · land · band · stem · bear · safe · bulb · present

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — there
  4. land — to come down
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. present — the time now
  7. land — ground
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. band — a ring
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pound — a weight
  20. band — a music group
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. present — a gift
  24. bear — the animal

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