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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: spring · land · safe · fine · bound · saw · mouse · calf

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — ground
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. land — to come down
  15. bound — tied together
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fine — all right
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bound — certain
  23. spring — the season
  24. land — a country

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