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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: cold · track · patient · bank · can · wake · cell · rule

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. track — a path
  5. cell — in biology
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. track — a song
  9. bank — for money
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cold — an illness
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rule — government
  23. bank — of a river
  24. can — a tin

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