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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.

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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: last · bear · field · chip · sharp · patient · rush · row

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. last — finally
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. row — to paddle
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. row — a line
  13. rush — hurry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chip — for betting
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chip — to eat
  20. field — farmland
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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