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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 120 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: stand · board · ruler · cold · file · spring · patient · foot

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. file — a line of people
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spring — of water
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. foot — a measure
  12. file — a document
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cold — not warm
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. file — a tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. stand — to bear

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