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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: ruler · wound · patient · game · snap · stick · safe · bay

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. game — wild animals
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. snap — to click

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