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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: cabinet · ground · ruler · patient · tube · bat · cue · lash

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ground — a position
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cue — for pool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. tube — a container
  24. lash — an eyelash

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