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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: bass · hide · rash · ruler · current · patient · net · spell

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. current — happening now
  4. spell — letters
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rash — a series
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. current — of water
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. spell — magic
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. current — electric
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bass — low music

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