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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: fan · rush · leaves · degree · patient · bear · pit · sharp

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pit — a hole
  3. degree — temperature
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. degree — from a university
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. degree — an amount
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. fan — a supporter
  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