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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cue — a hint
  10. field — for sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cue — for pool
  13. squash — to crush
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. field — a subject
  17. squash — the sport
  18. field — farmland

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