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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cue — a signal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. swing — music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wind — moving air
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. swing — to play on

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