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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
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: hide · mate · bark · arm · lean · land · sharp · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. land — ground
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lean — thin
  16. mate — a friend
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mate — a partner

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