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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.

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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: scale · patient · foot · branch · ruler · bulb · object · snap

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bulb — for light
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. snap — to click
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. branch — a division
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. foot — a measure
  21. object — a thing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ruler — a monarch

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