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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.

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: scale · patient · spring · lie · file · cue · wave · bear

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. file — a document
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spring — of water
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cue — a signal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wave — with your hand
  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