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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. present — there
  3. cue — a signal
  4. season — of the year
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mark — a grade
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. net — in sport
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. net — for catching
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mug — a cup
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. present — the time now
  20. cue — a hint
  21. net — after costs
  22. present — a gift
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mug — a face

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