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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · plane · scale · stick · cue · wake · sharp · patient

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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. plane — a tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. scale — in music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cue — a signal
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. scale — size or range

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