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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.

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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: present · pound · mug · ground · safe · patient · land · fall

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. present — the time now
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — a gift
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fall — the season
  11. present — there
  12. land — to come down
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. land — a country
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. land — ground
  20. ground — a position
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ground — the earth
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mug — to rob

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