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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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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 · mark · patient · staff · stock · ball · clip · cell

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. staff — employees
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cell — a phone
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. clip — for paper
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cell — in biology
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. clip — a video
  18. stock — shares
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stock — goods
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ball — a dance
  24. clip — to cut

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