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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 116 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: key · leaves · bark · sharp · rest · patient · present · hand

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — help
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. present — a gift
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — the time now
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rest — a break
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bark — to shout
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. present — there

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