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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · kid · lie · current · last · stem · patient · squash

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. current — happening now
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cue — a hint
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. last — final
  19. kid — child
  20. squash — to crush
  21. kid — to tease
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lie — to recline
  24. squash — the sport

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