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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: lean · roll · racket · content · patient · rule · key · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. roll — a list
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. roll — a cake
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rule — a law
  13. content — happy
  14. rule — government
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. key — for a lock
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lean — thin
  19. lie — to recline
  20. content — the amount
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — to bend
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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