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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cue — a hint
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wound — an injury
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — of ice

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