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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: ruler · fine · snap · patient · land · hand · cold · board

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cold — not warm
  11. snap — to click
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. hand — help
  15. fine — high quality
  16. land — a country
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fine — all right
  19. land — ground
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cold — an illness
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. hand — 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