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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.

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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: wind · lie · rock · cue · wake · patient · wound · drill

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. drill — army training
  21. lie — to recline
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wound — an injury

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