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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: hand · pop · patient · suit · bear · mark · sharp · current

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. current — electric
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pop — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hand — help
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mark — a trace
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. sharp — exactly

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