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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: tear · date · bay · patient · squash · ruler · mark · cue

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cue — a signal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tear — from crying
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — to crush
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mark — a trace
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tear — to rip

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