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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: spell · branch · patient · lie · cell · cue · firm · staff

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cue — a hint
  3. firm — a company
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. staff — employees
  8. firm — steady
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cell — in biology
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — a division
  15. lie — to recline
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — decided
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spell — magic

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