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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: squash · lie · bear · field · degree · patient · firm · staff

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. degree — an amount
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — to crush
  7. firm — a company
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. field — a subject
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bear — the animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. squash — the sport
  22. staff — employees
  23. degree — from a university
  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