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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 120 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: sharp · saw · rest · root · file · mine · craft · patient

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. root — of a word
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. saw — the tool
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. root — the cause
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — boats
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. saw — the tool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mine — for digging
  24. root — of a plant

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