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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 120 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: lie · patient · mine · bowl · chest · bound · ball · fine

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fine — all right
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chest — a box
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bound — certain
  24. bowl — to roll

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