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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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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 · drill · stick · bear · wake · coach · fine

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — all right
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a signal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. drill — army training
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cue — a hint
  18. drill — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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