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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cue — a hint
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. tube — a container
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mark — a trace
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — clever
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — a grade

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