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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: mate · tear · stand · dip · key · cue · hand · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. tear — from crying
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cue — a signal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. hand — help
  14. mate — a friend
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cue — for pool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mate — to breed
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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