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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: bore · patient · lash · lean · suit · roll · scale · straw

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bore — to tire
  3. roll — a list
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bore — to drill
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lean — thin
  19. scale — in music
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lean — to bend
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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