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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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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: racket · arm · lean · ruler · bound · pound · patient · bat

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lean — to bend
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lean — thin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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