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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: lie · file · cue · mark · pound · plane · patient · chip

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. file — a line of people
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pound — a weight
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lie — to recline
  22. file — a tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. file — a document

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