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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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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: safe · field · file · foot · nail · bear · coach · ruler

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bear — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. foot — a measure
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. field — farmland
  22. file — a tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. field — for sport

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