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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.

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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: suit · march · kick · pop · trunk · sharp · squash · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pop — soda
  7. march — the month
  8. pop — to visit
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. pop — music
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. march — music
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kick — in football
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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