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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.

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: lie · present · row · squash · rock · net · patient · ball

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lie — to recline
  3. present — the time now
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. net — after costs
  8. present — there
  9. row — a line
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rock — music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. present — a gift
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rock — a stone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. squash — the vegetable

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