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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.

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: patient · pop · swing · court · lash · roll · lie · fall

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — the season
  3. pop — soda
  4. swing — music
  5. pop — music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pop — to visit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — in golf
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lie — to recline
  17. court — of law
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. roll — a list
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lie — an untruth

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