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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · leaves · chest · pop · scale · arm · patient · pass

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chest — a box
  10. pop — soda
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chest — of your body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pop — music
  18. pass — a permit
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — to visit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. sharp — clever

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