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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: patient · lie · drill · wake · fan · pop · mug · rock

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. drill — army training
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pop — music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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