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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: foot · wave · swing · lie · bore · last · patient · court

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. court — of law
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — final
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. court — of a king
  10. foot — a measure
  11. swing — to play on
  12. court — for sport
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. swing — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. last — to go on
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lie — to recline

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