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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: can · chest · toast · cue · lean · rash · patient · track

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. track — a song
  3. toast — bread
  4. cue — a signal
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. can — a tin
  8. chest — a box
  9. lean — thin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rash — a series
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cue — for pool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — a path
  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