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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 water is too ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. firm — steady
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cue — a hint
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. toast — bread
  14. firm — a company
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cue — for pool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. firm — decided
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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