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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
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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: safe · ground · pop · leaves · fall · patient · content · stem

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. pop — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ground — crushed
  10. content — the amount
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fall — the season
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pop — soda
  24. leaves — of a tree

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