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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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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: bank · pound · spell · patient · cabinet · fall · safe · hide

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fall — the season
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. bank — for money
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. spell — magic
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hide — animal skin

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