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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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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 · patient · cabinet · lie · degree · straw · deal · wound

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. degree — temperature
  5. deal — to handle
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. degree — from a university
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — for measuring

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