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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: patient · shower · net · fine · suit · key · mate · sharp

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. fine — high quality
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. sharp — clever
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. net — after costs
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mate — to breed
  15. key — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. key — the most important part
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fine — all right
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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