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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 120 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: board · lie · wake · pitcher · swing · temple · kid · patient

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kid — to tease
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. swing — music
  15. kid — child
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — to play on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lie — an untruth

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