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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · sharp · can · land · pass · bark · patient · bowl

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. land — ground
  3. rest — a break
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. sharp — clever
  6. land — to come down
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. can — a tin
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rest — what's left
  19. land — a country
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pass — a permit
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. patient — a sick person

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