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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
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: bay · bulb · game · lie · shower · patient · row · straw

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — a match
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lie — to recline
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. shower — rain
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. row — a line
  14. game — wild animals
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. shower — to wash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. row — to paddle
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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