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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · charge · scale · mug · leaves · patient · cold · ruler

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. scale — size or range
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. charge — in control
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mug — a cup
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cold — an illness
  16. scale — in music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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