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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: sharp · wake · fork · stem · straw · rush · bound · patient

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bound — tied together
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bound — certain
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fork — in a road
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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