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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: can · patient · mate · cue · arm · track · stick · snap

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. can — a tin
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cue — for pool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — to breed
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to click
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mate — a partner
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. arm — part of the body

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