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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: fine · pitcher · bowl · snap · bound · lie · patient · stand

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fine — all right
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bound — tied together
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bound — certain
  14. lie — to recline
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to click
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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