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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 · bark · cue · pit · rush · can · patient · toast

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cue — a signal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cue — for pool
  12. last — final
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. last — to go on
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. cue — a hint
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. last — finally

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