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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 116 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: ruler · bowl · patient · swing · scale · tear · hide · bass

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. swing — to play on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — low music
  11. scale — in music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bass — the fish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tear — from crying
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. scale — for weighing

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