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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: patient · ruler · bass · clip · drill · arm · safe · foot

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — a practice
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bass — the fish
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bass — low music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. drill — army training
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. clip — a video
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bass — the instrument

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