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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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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: lean · dip · ruler · patient · cell · mark · safe · press

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lean — thin
  3. cell — a phone
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. press — a publisher
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cell — in biology
  12. lean — to bend
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mark — a trace
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. safe — out of danger

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