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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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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cue — for pool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. date — the fruit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cap — a lid
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. snap — to click
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cap — a hat
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — part of the body

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