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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: patient · root · wound · mouse · sharp · bore · content · prune

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — of a plant
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bore — to tire
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. wound — an injury
  12. content — happy
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. root — the cause
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wound — an injury
  17. content — the amount
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. root — of a word

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