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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 · stick · lean · safe · scale · net · tube · patient

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to bend
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. net — in sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. scale — in music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. scale — size or range
  13. net — for catching
  14. lean — thin
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. net — after costs

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