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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: game · leaves · patient · dip · ruler · ground · cue · last

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. last — to go on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — a hint
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ground — crushed
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. game — a match
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — for pool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. game — wild animals
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ground — a position

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