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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 120 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: bat · bore · scale · ruler · chest · patient · hand · rock

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chest — a box
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rock — music
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — to tire
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chest — of your body
  17. scale — in music
  18. hand — in cards
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hand — help
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bat — for baseball

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