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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: straw · calf · fall · pass · safe · bowl · patient · spring

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to 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. safe — out of danger
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — a coil
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pass — a permit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spring — the season
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. spring — of water
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. patient — a sick person
  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