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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: leaves · lash · snap · sharp · field · mark · roll · patient

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. field — for sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. field — farmland
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. field — a subject
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. roll — a list
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. roll — a cake
  23. snap — to click
  24. sharp — exactly

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