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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 116 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: fall · cell · cue · chair · patient · bay · bank · pop

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pop — soda
  15. fall — the season
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fall — to drop

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