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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 · patient · fall · key · foot · board · saw · game

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fall — to drop
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. game — wild animals
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fall — to drop
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — in music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — to get on
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fall — the season
  22. game — a match
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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