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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 · racket · tear · wind · lie · suit · patient · vault

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — a hint
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. suit — clothes
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. suit — in cards
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. suit — to fit
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cue — for pool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lie — to recline

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