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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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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 · foot · shower · bay · wind · patient · bore · prune

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bore — to drill
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. foot — a measure
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — a signal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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