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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cue — a signal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mark — a grade
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. dip — to sink

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