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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. court — of law
  5. chest — a box
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. court — for sport
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. court — of a king
  16. chest — of your body
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bowl — a football final

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