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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: ground · patient · sharp · temple · bark · chip · face · staff

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chip — to eat
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — to confront
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. face — to point toward
  16. staff — employees
  17. ground — a position
  18. face — part of the head
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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