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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: patient · lean · ruler · deal · hide · lash · cue · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cue — for pool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cue — a hint
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lean — thin
  23. cue — a signal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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