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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. firm — a company
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. race — humankind
  5. present — a gift
  6. shower — rain
  7. cue — for pool
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. race — the arms race
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pit — a hole
  14. race — a contest
  15. present — the time now
  16. snap — to click
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — in a race
  20. present — there
  21. shower — to wash
  22. firm — decided
  23. patient — a sick person
  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