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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: key · mouse · cue · cell · firm · file · patient · temple

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. key — in music
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. firm — decided
  12. file — a line of people
  13. key — the most important part
  14. file — a document
  15. cue — a signal
  16. firm — steady
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. file — a tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cell — in biology

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