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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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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: game · lie · patient · perch · stick · shower · mug · bowl

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — to rob
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. game — a match
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — to recline
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mug — a face
  24. bowl — to roll

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