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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: sharp · wake · patient · capital · foot · cue · drill · row

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. drill — a practice
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. drill — the tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. capital — money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cue — for pool
  12. capital — a city
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cue — a hint
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. row — a line
  19. drill — army training
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. foot — a measure

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