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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 116 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: ruler · ground · straw · cell · patient · safe · clip · cabinet

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — a video
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ground — a position
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — for paper
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. clip — to cut
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cell — in biology
  24. ground — crushed

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