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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 116 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: suit · bark · wax · squash · mug · patient · last · cue

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. last — to go on
  4. mug — to rob
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mug — a face
  22. last — finally
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bark — to shout

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