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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
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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: patient · hand · clip · bass · calf · firm · lash · ruler

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. clip — for paper
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. firm — a company
  5. bass — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bass — low music
  10. clip — to cut
  11. hand — help
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. firm — decided
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. clip — a video
  22. firm — steady
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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