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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chest — a box
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cap — a lid
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cue — a hint
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. craft — boats
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. chest — of your body
  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