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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: ruler · wind · patient · vault · coach · face · track · ground

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. vault — a safe
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wind — moving air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ground — crushed
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — a position
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. face — to confront
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — to turn a key

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