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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: tear · patient · nail · lie · safe · perch · rule · rash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rule — a law
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rash — hasty
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rule — government
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. nail — on a finger

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