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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: stick · hide · patient · ruler · file · temple · row · chip

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — a line
  4. chip — to eat
  5. row — to paddle
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. file — a tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. file — a document
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. file — a line of people
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chip — for betting

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