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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 124 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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 — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bulb — for light
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mug — a face
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mug — a cup
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mug — to rob
  16. deal — to handle
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — for light
  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