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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 120 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: safe · spring · spell · content · fall · present · patient · stem

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — letters
  3. fall — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spell — magic
  7. spring — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. present — there
  12. content — happy
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spell — a short time
  19. present — a gift
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. spring — of water
  23. fall — to drop
  24. present — the time now

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