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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 · sharp · bound · bark · leaves · bay · fine · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. sharp — clever
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. sharp — exactly

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