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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: patient · bank · roll · rash · ruler · cabinet · clip · net

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rash — a series
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. net — in sport
  11. clip — to cut
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. clip — a video
  15. bank — of a river
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bank — for money
  18. rash — hasty
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. roll — a list

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