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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: fine · game · stick · pitcher · wound · ruler · patient · lash

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — a match
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. game — wild animals
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wound — an injury
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wound — an injury

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