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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: sharp · patient · spring · rock · firm · stick · object · branch

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. object — to protest
  4. spring — the season
  5. object — an aim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — a stone
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. firm — decided
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rock — music
  17. firm — steady
  18. object — a thing
  19. branch — a division
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. firm — a company
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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