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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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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: lie · ruler · dip · patient · drill · bat · bowl · race

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. race — a contest
  6. lie — to recline
  7. race — the arms race
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bat — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. race — humankind
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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