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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: patient · tube · sharp · hand · board · suit · mug · fan

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hand — help
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — to rob
  8. board — a committee
  9. tube — the underground
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. suit — clothes
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. sharp — clever
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — to get on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. hand — in cards
  21. tube — a container
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hand — part of the body

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