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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: content · trunk · dip · row · firm · sharp · snap · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. firm — a company
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. dip — to sink
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. sharp — clever
  9. row — a line
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. firm — decided
  15. row — to paddle
  16. snap — to click
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. firm — steady
  24. content — happy

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