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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 116 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: ground · patient · rule · spell · sharp · staff · rock · bark

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. spell — letters
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ground — a position
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rule — government
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — crushed
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rock — music
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bark — to shout
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. spell — magic
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rule — a law
  23. staff — employees
  24. patient — a sick person

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