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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 120 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 · swing · patient · suit · coach · face · field · wake

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. field — farmland
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. face — to point toward
  7. swing — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. face — part of the head
  11. swing — to play on
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wake — a trail
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. field — for sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — a subject
  24. face — to confront

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