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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 124 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: bear · last · hide · patient · tear · cue

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bear — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tear — from crying
  9. last — final
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cue — a hint
  12. last — to go on
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — finally
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tear — to rip
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. 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