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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · patient · bear · wound · rash · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rock — music
  4. cue — a signal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rash — a series
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cue — for pool

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