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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bound — certain
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cue — a hint
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wax — to grow

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