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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 · ground · rule · stick · safe · suit · tube · band

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ground — a position
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a ring
  9. tube — a container
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. suit — to fit
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. band — a music group
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rule — government
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ground — the earth
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rule — a law
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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