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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 116 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 · coach · cabinet · wound · rock · row · file · patient

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. row — a line
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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