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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 · patient · calf · game · bound · cold · race · plane

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. plane — a tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. race — humankind
  10. game — a match
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bound — obliged
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. game — wild animals
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cold — an illness
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. ruler — a monarch

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