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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: patient · wind · lean · club · tube · snap · ruler · charge

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. snap — to click
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — a group
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. charge — in control
  15. club — for golf
  16. charge — electricity
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — thin
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. charge — a price
  23. club — for dancing
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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