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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · calf · hide · net · mine · bowl · patient · game

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. net — for catching
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. net — in sport
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. net — after costs
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lie — to recline
  21. game — a match
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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