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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: hand · sharp · lean · fork · bank · patient · chip · tube

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. sharp — clever
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fork — in a road
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lean — to bend
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tube — a container
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bank — of a river
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — 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