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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: patient · rest · saw · row · face · key · ruler · nail

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. row — to paddle
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. row — a line
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — part of the head
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — the most important part
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. key — for a lock
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rest — a break
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. face — to confront
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — in music

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