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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: scale · current · bear · patient · ruler · fall · bay · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fall — the season
  6. current — of water
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. scale — size or range
  10. current — electric
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. current — happening now
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — in music
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  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