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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: hand · season · fork · rush · capital · patient · cue · face

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fork — in a road
  4. season — in sport
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — for pool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. season — of the year
  12. hand — in cards
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rush — hurry
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. face — to confront
  24. capital — a big letter

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