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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: cue · patient · stick · press · squash · cell · face · bear

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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 — a phone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to confront
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cell — in biology
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — to push
  20. face — part of the head
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. squash — to crush
  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