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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: fan · patient · lie · bark · fine · can · tube · bat

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fine — high quality
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bat — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — a container
  18. can — a tin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fan — a supporter

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