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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: rash · saw · kick · march · sharp · object · patient · hide

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rash — hasty
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — the month
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. object — to protest
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. march — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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