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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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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 · cue · lie · stick · key · snap · wax · deal

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cue — for pool
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. snap — to click
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wax — to grow
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. lie — to recline
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cue — a hint
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — the most important part
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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