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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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · bear · scale · band · mine · roll · ruler · dip

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. scale — in music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. roll — a list
  12. band — a music group
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — a cake
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a ring
  22. bear — the animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ruler — for measuring

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