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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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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 · pitcher · wave

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

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. march — the month
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. charge — a price
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wind — moving air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. charge — in control
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. march — the month
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. march — music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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