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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.

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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: tube · bat · fork · patient · wind · suit · lie · drill

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. suit — clothes
  7. drill — army training
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tube — a container
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. drill — the tool
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bat — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tube — in a tire
  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