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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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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: snap · sharp · kick · pit · cabinet · temple · patient · mark

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to click
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pit — in a race
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. sharp — clever
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kick — in football
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pit — a hole

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