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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: sharp · fine · patient · band · rash · hand · rest · toast

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. band — a ring
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. toast — bread
  12. sharp — clever
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rash — a series
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rest — a break
  21. hand — help
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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