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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
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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: fork · sharp · mouse · fan · rush · march · object · patient

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. march — the month
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. object — a thing
  6. rush — hurry
  7. object — to protest
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fork — in a road
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — the month
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. march — music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mouse — for a computer

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