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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 · wound · stock · suit · sharp · mug · cold · patient

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stock — shares
  4. suit — in cards
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mug — a face
  17. stock — goods
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wound — an injury
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cold — an illness
  24. suit — clothes

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