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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: suit · chest · mark · band · ruler · wake · patient · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — a trace
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chest — of your body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. suit — clothes
  10. band — a music group
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wake — a trail
  13. band — a ring
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chest — a box
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chest — of your body
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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