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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.

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: cold · season · patient · bore · safe · cue · roll · deal

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cue — a hint
  4. deal — to handle
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — not warm
  9. season — of the year
  10. roll — a list
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — to tire
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. season — in sport
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bore — to drill
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cue — a signal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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