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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 112 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: straw · cue · fine · bear · race · rule · bore · patient

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fine — all right
  5. rule — a law
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rule — government
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. race — humankind
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. race — the arms race
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. race — a contest
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bear — the animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fine — high quality

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