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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: lie · pound · squash · row · nail · patient · court · fine

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. squash — to crush
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — a line
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. fine — all right
  17. squash — the sport
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. court — for sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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