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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. season — of the year
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stand — to bear
  6. season — in sport
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bank — for money
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cue — a hint
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — of the leg

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