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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. face — to confront
  11. wake — a trail
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lean — to bend
  17. current — happening now
  18. bark — to shout
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — thin
  24. current — of water

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