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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 · fall · rest · file · saw · lie · safe · bound

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — certain
  6. fall — the season
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rest — a break
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — obliged
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fall — to drop
  23. present — the time now
  24. safe — out of danger

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