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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 · roll · pass · bat · rest · spring · clip · ruler

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. roll — a list
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. clip — for paper
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. spring — of water
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. roll — a cake
  16. clip — to cut
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. clip — a video
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. spring — the season
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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