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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 120 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: rash · current · safe · patient · chest · ruler · board · cold

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. current — of water
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. current — happening now
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a committee
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cold — not warm
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cold — an illness
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. current — electric

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