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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pit — in a race
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cap — a lid
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — a hole
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — a position
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. row — a line
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cap — of ice
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ground — crushed

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