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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: sharp · rule · coach · chair · snap · patient · date · stick

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chair — a leader
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. date — the fruit
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rule — government
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. sharp — clever
  20. snap — to click
  21. rule — a law
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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