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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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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: ruler · tear · firm · patient · lean · arm

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lean — thin
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lean — to bend
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tear — to rip
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — a company
  18. patient — a sick person

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