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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · lie · cue · field · staff · mark · lash · wake

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lie — to recline
  6. field — farmland
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. field — for sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. staff — employees
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mark — a trace
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mark — a grade
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — to lash out
  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