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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · clip · safe · patient · stem · roll · lie · fall

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fall — the season
  10. land — ground
  11. lie — to recline
  12. roll — a cake
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — to come down
  16. stem — to come from
  17. roll — a list
  18. clip — a video
  19. land — a country
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stem — of a plant

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