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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 120 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 · dip · sharp · spring · cue · club · wave · bear

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — for pool
  5. sharp — clever
  6. spring — the season
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cue — a hint
  9. club — a group
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. club — for dancing
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. club — for golf
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cue — a signal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bear — the animal

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