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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: net · content · ruler · bay · patient · drill · snap · rash

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rash — hasty
  3. net — for catching
  4. snap — to click
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rash — a series
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. net — after costs
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. drill — army training
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. drill — a practice
  22. content — happy
  23. net — in sport
  24. drill — the tool

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