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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: charge · patient · snap · mouse · ruler · arm · chair · bark

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — a price
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. charge — electricity
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. snap — to click
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — in control

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