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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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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 · file · mine · present · bore · cell · foot

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bore — to tire
  8. file — a tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bore — to drill
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mine — for digging
  14. present — the time now
  15. cell — in biology
  16. present — a gift
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — there
  24. patient — a sick person

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