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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: bowl · fine · lie · rush · patient · drill · bound · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. drill — the tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. object — a thing
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. object — to protest
  14. fine — all right
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — army training
  17. fine — high quality
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lie — to recline

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