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

Word bank: temple · cue · tube · shower · chest · stem · patient · racket

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chest — a box
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tube — a container
  14. chest — of your body
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cue — a hint
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. shower — to wash

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