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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: lie · drill · mug · stick · content · patient · wound · deal

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mug — a face
  6. wound — an injury
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. drill — a practice
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. content — happy
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. content — the amount
  19. mug — a cup
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mug — to rob

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