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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — clever
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wave — of the sea

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