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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: wound · safe · ruler · snap · patient · mark · stock · roll

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. snap — to click
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. roll — a list
  8. mark — a grade
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stock — goods
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — an injury
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wound — an injury

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