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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: rush · saw · bound · roll · sharp · stock · patient · mug

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mug — a face
  4. roll — a cake
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. roll — a list
  12. bound — tied together
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — hurry
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stock — goods
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stock — shares
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rush — a thrill

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