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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. current — of water
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cue — for pool
  6. current — happening now
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. current — electric
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stem — a stem cell

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