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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.

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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: toast · land · lean · can · patient · sharp · arm · net

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. can — a tin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. net — in sport
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. net — after costs
  11. can — to be able to
  12. toast — bread
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — for catching
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. land — ground
  19. sharp — clever
  20. land — to come down
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — thin
  24. toast — the most admired

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