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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.

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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 · spring · lie · fan · stand · bore · staff · wave

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — of water
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bore — to drill
  14. staff — employees
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. spring — the season
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. staff — a stick

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