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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: mate · cue · chair · dip · patient · arm · drill · jam

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cue — for pool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. drill — the tool
  9. dip — to sink
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mate — a partner
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. drill — army training
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cue — a signal
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cue — a hint
  21. chair — a leader
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. jam — in traffic

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