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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — letters
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cue — for pool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bore — to drill
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spell — magic
  20. stock — shares
  21. spell — a short time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — goods
  24. tear — from crying

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