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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.

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: roll · field · plane · ruler · coach · row · patient · mouse

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — to paddle
  9. plane — a tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. field — for sport
  19. roll — a cake
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. roll — a list
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. mouse — the animal

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