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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 116 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 · patient · hand · suit · pound · pop · hide · prune

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. suit — clothes
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pop — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. suit — to fit
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pop — soda
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pop — to visit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — help
  24. hide — animal skin

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