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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: mine · net · rash · saw · patient · leaves · fall · safe

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. saw — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rash — hasty
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. net — for catching
  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