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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: patient · perch · cue · prune · hand · bear · spell · ruler

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. hand — help
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. bear — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spell — magic
  24. ruler — for measuring

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