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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · ruler · trunk · march · patient · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — moving air
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — in control
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — a price
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ruler — a monarch

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