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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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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: cell · content · sharp · firm · spell · date · patient · saw

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cell — in biology
  7. spell — magic
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. spell — a short time
  10. firm — steady
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cell — a phone
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. date — the fruit
  16. firm — decided
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. content — the amount
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. spell — letters
  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