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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 120 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: stick · bat · wave · cue · saw · spell · shower · patient

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. shower — rain
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cue — a hint
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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