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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: mark · hand · ruler · safe · squash · file · stick · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. file — a document
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. squash — the sport
  9. file — a line of people
  10. hand — help
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. file — a tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mark — a grade

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