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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: saw · safe · racket · roll · rule · patient · toast · fall

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — a law
  3. roll — a cake
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — government
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. roll — a list
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. toast — bread
  22. fall — the season
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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