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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. root — of a word
  3. cue — a hint
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cell — in biology
  12. can — to be able to
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cue — a signal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cue — for pool
  18. root — the cause
  19. bound — tied together
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — certain

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