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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 116 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — a cup
  8. root — the cause
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mug — a face
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cue — for pool
  23. root — of a word
  24. mine — belonging to me

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