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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: straw · date · can · saw · firm · file · sharp · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a document
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. can — to be able to
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. firm — steady
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — the tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. firm — decided
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. firm — a company
  20. file — a tool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. can — a tin

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