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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 · mug · rock · lean · court · dip · row · sharp

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mug — a face
  4. court — of a king
  5. rock — a stone
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mug — a cup
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rock — music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. court — of law
  17. lean — thin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. row — a line
  20. court — for sport
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lean — to bend

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