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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.

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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: calf · safe · last · mine · stem · patient · bound · firm

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bound — certain
  8. last — final
  9. firm — decided
  10. last — finally
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bound — tied together
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. firm — a company
  20. last — to go on
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. firm — steady

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