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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: patient · row · rash · tear · content · bass · ruler · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bass — low music
  3. rash — a series
  4. row — to paddle
  5. content — happy
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. row — a line
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bass — the fish
  15. content — the amount
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rash — on the skin

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