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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · face · pitcher · rest · spring · fine · cue · patient

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rest — what's left
  4. face — to confront
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spring — the season
  13. cue — for pool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rest — a break
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. snap — to click
  24. patient — a sick person

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