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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
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: cue · chair · spell · rock · plane · file · patient · bank

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bank — of a river
  10. file — a document
  11. spell — magic
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. file — a line of people
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. file — a tool
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rock — music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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