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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 116 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
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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 · patient · track · cap · lean · hide · saw · bore

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cap — a hat
  8. track — a path
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lean — thin
  15. track — a song
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a lid
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bore — gave birth

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