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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · kick · bark · saw · patient · bore · capital · straw

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. saw — the tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. capital — a city
  12. bore — to tire
  13. kick — in football
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bore — to drill
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. capital — money
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. saw — the tool

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