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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 116 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 · hide · bulb · lash · band · row · lean · ruler

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — thin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. band — a music group
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. row — to paddle
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. row — a line

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