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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: race · cap · lean · ruler · patient · season

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. race — a contest
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lean — thin
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. season — of the year
  13. cap — a lid
  14. race — humankind
  15. season — in sport
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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