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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. key — in music
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — happening now
  7. rush — hurry
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cue — a signal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. current — of water
  13. rest — a break
  14. row — to paddle
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. current — electric
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. row — a line

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