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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: bear · content · patient · current · snap · mate · cue · tube

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. content — happy
  7. cue — for pool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mate — a friend
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. content — the amount
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mate — to breed
  16. snap — to click
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. current — happening now
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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