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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: pit · press · saw · temple · tear · deal · cue · patient

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cue — a signal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. press — a publisher
  9. tear — to rip
  10. deal — to handle
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cue — a hint
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pit — in a race
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tear — from crying

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