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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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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: pitcher · wound · suit · shower · saw · cue · patient · mate

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wound — an injury
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mate — to breed
  9. shower — to wash
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. shower — rain
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wound — an injury
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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