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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: toast · ruler · row · nail · stock · bore · patient · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wound — an injury
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stock — shares
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. row — a line
  13. stock — goods
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bore — to drill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. row — to paddle
  19. toast — bread
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bore — gave birth
  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