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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · lie · cue · patient · cell · current · land · squash

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — to come down
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. current — electric
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cell — in biology
  18. current — of water
  19. squash — to crush
  20. land — ground
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cell — a phone
  23. land — a country
  24. lie — to recline

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