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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. swing — music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. snap — to click
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. clip — a video
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. clip — for paper
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cue — a hint
  22. swing — in golf
  23. clip — to cut
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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