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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: cue · present · bank · mark · drill · patient · tear · cell

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cell — a phone
  4. drill — army training
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cue — a signal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — the time now
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bank — for money
  12. drill — a practice
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bank — of a river
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. tear — to rip
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — there
  21. cue — for pool
  22. present — a gift
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cue — a hint

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