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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 · nail · field · land · rash · cabinet · present · rest

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — for sport
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. land — ground
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — a country
  10. present — a gift
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. present — the time now
  15. land — to come down
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. field — farmland
  18. present — there
  19. field — a subject
  20. rash — a series
  21. rest — what's left
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rest — a break
  24. ruler — a monarch

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