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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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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 · patient · race · cold · foot · ruler

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — humankind
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. race — a contest
  6. cold — an illness
  7. race — the arms race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. foot — a measure
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cold — not warm
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bank — for money
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bank — of a river

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