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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: lie · patient · cap · lean · mug · bat · fine · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fine — all right
  4. lean — thin
  5. cap — a lid
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fine — high quality
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. patient — a sick person
  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