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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: safe · bound · cold · spell · deal · hand · lean · rock

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. hand — help
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bound — certain
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cold — an illness
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bound — obliged
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rock — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spell — magic
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — letters

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