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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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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 hint
  2. net — in sport
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rash — a series
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cap — a hat
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. last — finally
  12. cap — a lid
  13. last — final
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cell — a phone
  16. last — to go on
  17. net — after costs
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cue — for pool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. net — for catching
  23. cell — in biology
  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