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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: bulb · band · ruler · arm · rush · patient · lie · mine

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. band — a music group
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. band — a ring
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. arm — part of the body

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