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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mouse · lash · lie · bass · patient · shower · can

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. can — to be able to
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bass — low music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — a tin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. lie — an untruth

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