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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · land · ruler · patient · sharp · mouse · band · staff

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. staff — employees
  4. land — a country
  5. sharp — clever
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. staff — a stick
  10. land — to come down
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — ground
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a music group
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. staff — employees
  20. root — of a word
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. root — the cause
  24. sharp — exactly

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