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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: swing · ruler · roll · patient · field · key · bear · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. lean — thin
  2. field — for sport
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. key — in music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lean — to bend
  8. roll — a cake
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. roll — a list
  12. key — the most important part
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bear — the animal
  16. swing — music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. key — for a lock
  19. field — farmland
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. lean — to rest against
  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