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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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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: snap · drill · patient · bark · club · sharp · band · suit

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. drill — a practice
  5. sharp — clever
  6. drill — the tool
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. suit — in cards
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — army training
  12. club — a group
  13. suit — clothes
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. band — a ring
  16. bark — to shout
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. club — for golf
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. club — for dancing
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. suit — to fit
  24. band — a music group

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