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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 ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pit — in a race
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chip — for betting
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chip — to eat
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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