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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.

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: mark · game · chest · rock · lash · patient · lie · pitcher

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. chest — a box
  6. game — a match
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rock — music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rock — a stone
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. game — wild animals
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — to lash out

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