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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
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: net · stem · lie · cue · wave · land · ball · patient

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cue — a hint
  3. land — a country
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stem — to come from
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. ball — a dance
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. land — to come down
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — to recline
  21. land — ground
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. net — after costs

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