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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: hide · bass · safe · capital · firm · fall · prune · patient

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. firm — decided
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — low music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. prune — to trim
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bass — the fish
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. capital — a city
  21. firm — a company
  22. capital — money
  23. fall — to drop
  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