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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.

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: patient · row · current · rush · safe · drill · racket · fall

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. drill — army training
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — hurry
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. current — of water
  17. row — a line
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. current — happening now
  20. drill — the tool
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — electric
  24. row — to paddle

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