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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: degree · patient · bat · row · rush · lie · racket · bowl

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. row — to paddle
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lie — to recline
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bat — the animal

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