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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: swing · cell · ruler · track · lean · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cell — in biology
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — thin
  7. swing — music
  8. track — a path
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. track — a song
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — to keep track

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