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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: cap · mouse · trunk · wake · charge · patient · ruler · board

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. board — a committee
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. board — to get on
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cap — a lid
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — a trail
  24. trunk — of a tree

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