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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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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: patient · saw · firm · staff · spring · scale

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. spring — a coil
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — a company
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spring — of water
  14. scale — in music
  15. spring — the season
  16. scale — size or range
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — for weighing

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