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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — for catching
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. net — in sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cue — a hint
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mine — for digging
  22. net — after costs
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cue — for pool

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