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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: saw · lean · toast · ruler · degree · foot · patient · spell

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. toast — bread
  4. foot — a measure
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — letters
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spell — a short time
  9. degree — temperature
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lean — thin
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. spell — magic
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lean — to rest against
  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