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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lean — to bend
  3. cue — a hint
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. suit — clothes
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — thin
  8. firm — a company
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. tear — to rip
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. tear — from crying
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cue — for pool
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cue — a signal

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