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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: saw · bass · tear · deal · rush · patient · rest · cue

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cue — a signal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. cue — a hint
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — low music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. tear — from crying
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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