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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: march · face · prune · ruler · cue · firm · wound · patient

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — decided
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cue — a hint
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. firm — steady
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cue — a signal
  12. march — music
  13. face — to confront
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. face — to point toward
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cue — for pool
  21. march — the month
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — a company
  24. march — the month

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