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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: fork · lie · ball · patient · bulb · straw · drill · mark

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ball — a great time
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. drill — army training
  24. straw — a straw man

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