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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.

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 · hand · fine · hide · board · row · bat · ruler

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. board — to get on
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — in cards
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fine — all right
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. board — a committee
  18. hand — help
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fine — high quality
  21. row — to paddle
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. row — a line

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