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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: cue · sharp · straw · saw · rash · key · patient · bore

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cue — for pool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rash — a series
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. sharp — clever

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