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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
468
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: perch · trunk · spell · date · arm · patient · rush · cue

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spell — letters
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cue — a hint
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. date — the fruit
  15. cue — a signal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. spell — magic
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cue — for pool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. spell — a short time

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