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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: roll · shower · staff · suit · ruler · clip · patient · arm

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. staff — a stick
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. roll — a list
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. clip — for paper
  8. shower — rain
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. shower — to wash
  13. roll — a cake
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. staff — employees
  18. suit — in cards
  19. clip — to cut
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. staff — employees
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. suit — clothes
  24. clip — a video

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