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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: degree · tear · cue · bay · cell · ruler · patient · suit

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cue — for pool
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cell — a phone
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cell — in biology
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cue — a signal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. tear — from crying

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