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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: can · drill · squash · patient · hand · ruler · lean · lie

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. 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. lean — thin
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. can — to be able to
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — in cards
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lie — to recline
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — help
  20. drill — the tool
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. squash — to crush
  23. drill — army training
  24. 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