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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
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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 · perch · drill · board · face · stem · cue · net

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. face — to confront
  3. cue — for pool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. perch — the fish
  6. net — after costs
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cue — a hint
  9. net — for catching
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cue — a signal
  14. board — to get on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. drill — the tool
  18. face — to point toward
  19. drill — army training
  20. board — a committee
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. net — in sport

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