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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: bear · wave · bound · last · safe · land · spell · bore

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. land — a country
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — to drill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spell — letters
  12. bear — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bound — certain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. last — final
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bore — to tire
  21. last — to go on
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spell — magic
  24. last — finally

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