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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: race · patient · safe · ruler · rush · leaves · prune · dip

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. race — the arms race
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. dip — to sink
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. race — a contest
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. race — humankind
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. safe — out of danger

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