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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: wind · object · content · swing · patient · leaves · ruler · calf

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. object — an aim
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. swing — music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. swing — to play on

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