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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: rush · bat · patient · safe · current · stand · kid · squash

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. squash — the sport
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. current — happening now
  8. stand — to bear
  9. squash — to crush
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — to tease
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. current — of water
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rush — hurry
  16. kid — child
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. current — electric
  20. bat — the animal
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. patient — a sick person

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