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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: ruler · rush · stick · court · sharp · face · snap · patient

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. court — for sport
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. snap — to click
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. court — of law
  12. rush — hurry
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. court — of a king
  15. face — to point toward
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. face — to confront
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  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