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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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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: rock · branch · date · ground · patient · sharp · nail · suit

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ground — a position
  6. suit — clothes
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rock — music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. branch — a division
  17. rock — a stone
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ground — crushed
  21. suit — to fit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. suit — in cards

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