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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: rock · key · ruler · land · stick · patient · tear · safe

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tear — from crying
  3. land — a country
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. land — ground
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rock — music
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. land — to come down
  24. key — for a lock

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