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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · hide · saw · spell · bear · patient · sharp · content

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. content — happy
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. saw — the tool
  13. content — the amount
  14. spell — magic
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spell — letters
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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