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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: mouse · wake · lie · patient · pitcher · board · ball · chest

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — to get on
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — a committee
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chest — a box

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