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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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · bark · lash · patient · bowl · file · spring · toast

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a line of people
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. sharp — clever
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. file — a tool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spring — of water
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. file — a document
  17. spring — the season
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. toast — bread
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bark — to shout

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