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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 · coach · cue · spring · wound · scale · staff · bulb

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. spring — of water
  3. staff — employees
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. scale — size or range
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bulb — for light
  9. staff — employees
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cue — for pool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cue — a hint
  20. scale — in music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lie — an untruth

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