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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: ruler · sharp · can · leaves · mate · patient · swing · rush

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rush — hurry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. swing — to play on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. can — a tin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. swing — music

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