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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: drill · patient · scale · court · ball · fall · lie · kick

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. scale — size or range
  5. drill — a practice
  6. court — of a king
  7. kick — in football
  8. fall — the season
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ball — a dance
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. drill — army training
  14. court — of law
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. court — for sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — in music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. drill — the tool
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fall — to drop

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