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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.

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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: squash · cue · bulb · game · patient · last · temple · fine

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fine — all right
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. last — finally
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. game — a match
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. last — final
  14. cue — a signal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. last — to go on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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