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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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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: mine · ruler · rest · fine · trunk · wind · mouse · patient

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rest — a break
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fine — high quality
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fine — all right
  24. mouse — the animal

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