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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: patient · cell · wax · stand · file · snap · cue · temple

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cue — a hint
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cell — a phone
  19. snap — to click
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cue — for pool

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