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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: rush · patient · charge · march · lean · jam · band · ruler

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. band — a music group
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lean — thin
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. charge — electricity
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. march — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. march — the month
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. march — the month
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. band — a ring
  24. rush — hurry

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