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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 · leaves · charge · cold · stick · staff · present · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. present — there
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cold — an illness
  7. present — the time now
  8. charge — electricity
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. staff — employees
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. charge — in control
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — a price
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. present — a gift
  24. 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