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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. race — the arms race
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stem — to come from
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cue — a hint
  8. race — a contest
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wake — a trail
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. race — humankind
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. temple — a place of worship

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