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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 · coach · roll · bowl · mine · racket · saw · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — for digging
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lie — to recline
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mine — an explosive

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