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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cue — for pool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fall — to drop
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mug — a face
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fall — the season
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pop — soda
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pop — music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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