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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 116 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 · board · spring · ball · craft · bore · bat · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lie — to recline
  7. board — a committee
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a dance
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. craft — a skill
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bore — to tire
  17. craft — boats
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. board — to get on
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bat — the animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. craft — a handicraft

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