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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · pound · cue · rock · patient · drill · last · wake

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. drill — army training
  3. last — final
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. drill — the tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. drill — a practice
  16. last — to go on
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cue — for pool
  19. last — finally
  20. rock — music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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