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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 · jam · lie · rush · ruler · bass · lean · scale

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bass — low music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lean — to bend
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. scale — in music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — for weighing

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