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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · spring · patient · suit · trunk · straw · ruler · field

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. field — a subject
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. spring — the season
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. field — farmland
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spring — of water
  20. suit — clothes
  21. field — for sport
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rock — music

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