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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: safe · patient · mouse · drill · firm · cue · key · wind

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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 — for pool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. drill — army training
  8. key — in music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cue — a hint
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. firm — decided
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. firm — a company
  17. wind — moving air
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. drill — the tool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. firm — steady
  22. drill — a practice
  23. safe — out of danger
  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