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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: season · sharp · foot · branch · mug · patient · suit · last

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mug — to rob
  4. last — final
  5. foot — a measure
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. season — in sport
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. sharp — clever
  16. last — to go on
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. season — of the year
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mug — a face
  22. last — finally
  23. mug — a cup
  24. sharp — with an edge

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