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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 116 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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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: rest · fork · leaves · lie · cap · ball · lash · patient

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rest — a break
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rest — what's left
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lash — to lash out
  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