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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: stick · wake · spell · lie · tube · bay · pitcher · patient

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. spell — letters
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tube — a container
  17. wake — a trail
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pitcher — a jug

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