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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · squash · drill · roll · race · stock · wake · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. roll — a list
  7. race — a contest
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stock — goods
  11. drill — a practice
  12. roll — a cake
  13. squash — to crush
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. race — the arms race
  17. drill — army training
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stock — shares
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. race — humankind
  24. drill — the tool

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