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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. land — to come down
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. land — ground
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. clip — to cut
  18. plane — a tool
  19. land — a country
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bank — for money
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. clip — a video
  24. bank — for money

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