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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. cue — a signal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lie — to recline
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cell — a phone
  9. press — a publisher
  10. last — to go on
  11. cell — in biology
  12. press — to push
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cue — a hint
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. kick — in football
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — a sick person

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