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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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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: bass · safe · patient · ruler · cabinet · root · rush · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. root — of a word
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bass — low music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — of a plant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. root — the cause
  24. ruler — a monarch

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