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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: last · rush · track · root · wound · patient · cue · rule

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rush — hurry
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. root — the cause
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rule — a law
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. last — finally
  13. track — a path
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. root — of a plant
  18. last — to go on
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. root — of a word
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — an injury
  23. last — final
  24. cue — a signal

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