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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.

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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 · nail · mine · cabinet · perch · rule · bowl

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lie — to recline
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rule — a law
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rule — government
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. patient — a sick person

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