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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ball · mug · wind · present · nail · sharp · mate

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — there
  3. mug — to rob
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mug — a face
  6. present — the time now
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. present — a gift
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wind — moving air
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mate — to breed
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wind — moving air
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — for a hammer

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