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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.

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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mug — a face
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — a cup
  14. snap — to click
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. dip — to sink
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cue — a hint
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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